Transload device



Nov. 28, 1950 A. E. BRICKMAN 2,531,552

TRANSLOAD DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jig ' M A a L lf m Zmventor A/cm Brick/77w? H 16 (Ittorneg Npv. 28, 1 A. E. BRICKMANTRANSLOAD DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1946 Srmentor H18Gttorneg A/cm E. B/v'ckm m Y AW$AW NMQX Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TRAN SLOAD DEVICE Alan E. Brickman, Worcester,Mass, assignor to The-American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey,atcorporation of New Jersey Application December 12, 1946, Serial No.715,714

2 Claims.

This. invention relates to a transloaddevice for pavement joints inconcrete highways, airport runways and the like.

In the construction of such pavements, it is necessary to provide planesof division which subdivide the pavement into individual slabs. Thejoints between the slabs may run longitudinally or transversely of thepavement. This invention is directed to transverse joints particularlyfitted to the requirements of construction of lanes 8 to 25 feet inwidth. The purpose of the joints is to provide prescribed control of thereactions in the pavement caused by the expansion, contraction andwarping due to changes in temperature. The spacing of joints is a matterof design based upon a thermal coefficient of expansion of approximately.000005 per degree change in temperature. Either expansion joints whichprovide for a rise in temperature or contraction joints which providefor a drop in temperature may be used between the slabs. A transferdevice is generally used between adjacent slabs to ma ntain the surfaceof the slabs in alignment and to transfer the load stresses caused byvehicles on the surface of the pavement. The most common type oftransfer devices are dowels which are generally located midway betweenthe top and bottom: of the pavement and are spaced at one foot centerslongitudinally of the joint. dowels and the concrete is broken in eitheror both slabs andthe slab ends telescope on the dowels during theexpansion-contraction cycle.

In an expansionjoint a compressible joint filler isrequire'd' while acontraction joint is provided with a vertical light gauge plate to forma plane of division. These fillers and plates lack rigidity and must besupported by bulkhead plates to retain them in vertical and lengthwisealignment under the forces resulting from the flow of wet concrete.After the surface of a concrete pavement has been finished, the bulkheadplates are withdrawn, cleaned and oiled preparatory to reuse at anothersection of the pavement under construction. This withdrawal causesserious damage by disturbing the initial setting of the cement at theslab edges which are the weakest points in the pavement and which aresubjected to the severest stresses. The weakened area extends over theconcrete which slumps to fill in the void caused by the withdrawal ofthe bulkhead plate. Since concrete, disturbed after initial set hasstarted, has only a portion of its original strength values, thestrength of the slab edges is greatly weakened.

The bond between the It is an object of my invention to provide atransverse joint assembly in which the filler or division plate issupported by members which make the use of. bulkheads unnecessary.

Another objectis to provide a joint assembly having supporting meanswhich may be. used with fillers 0f difirent thicknesses.

Still another object is. to provide a joint assembly in which. the doweland filler supporting member is made from welded reinforcing. fabric.

These andother objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in. which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the transload device in assembled positionandfunctioning as an expansion. joint;

Figure .2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the assembly ofFigure 1; and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2' but showing the transload.device in use in a contraction joint:

Referring more particularly tov the drawings, the reference numeral 2ind catesthe sub-grade underlying the concrete slabs 4 and t. The jointassembly is made up of two units 8, 8 of. essentially the sameconstruction, one unit being located. on each side. of a compressiblefiller l0, w'hichextends to within a short. distance (for example,three-eighths of. an inch) of the top of the slabs. 4' and 6. Each unitis made up of a plurality of wires t2 bent into a U-shape and. connectedby means of a plurality of longitudinal wires l4, [6,. l8 and 2.0. Oneleg 22 of each unit bears. against the compressible filler 6 to hold itin place and extends to within a short distance of the top of thefiller, the top of the leg being bent slightly away from the filler it]so that the filler is supported throughout its length by means of thewire [4. The bottom of the leg 22 is curved where it merges into thebase 2 2 so that the filler It bears against the wire it throughout itslength. The outboard or second leg 26 of each U-shaped member [2 doesnot extend upwardly as far as leg 22. The filler ill has a plurality ofholes 28 therein spaced apart longitudinally thereof with a dowel member30 extending through each of said holes, the bottom of the dowel membersbeing in the same horizontal plane as the top of the longitudinalmembers 28. Alternate dowel members Si! are welded to the longitudinalmember 26 and legs 25 of one unit, while the remaining dowel members arewelded to the legs 26 or longitudinal member 20 of the other unit. Eachunit is preferably fabricated from welded wire reinforcement bybendagainst the rods l4 and [6.

ing the reinforcement into the U-shape shown.

.The free end of each dowel, that is, the part of the dowel on the sideof the filler l opposite its supporting unit, is covered with anapproved coating to prevent it from bonding with the concrete. The freeend of each dowel member 30 rests on the longitudinal member of theopposite unit and is fastened thereto by means of tie wires 32. Acompressible filler 34 is attached to the free end of each dowel memberby means of a strap 36 welded to the dowel. A joint seal 38, which maybe a wood strip equal to the thickness of the joint filler It, extendsthe length of the joint filler and is secured to the joint assembly bymeans of the wires d0.

Before pouring concrete, the two units 8, 8 are telescoped together witha compressible filler l0 therebetween, as shown in Figure 2. It will beseen that the units may be used with fillers of different thicknesses,it only being necessary to move the units together until they bothcontact the filler. The tie Wires 32 are then applied and the joint seal38 is fastened in place. Installing stakes 42 are then driven into thesub-grade 2 The concrete is then poured, after which the wires are cutand the joint finished.

In the contraction joint shown in Figure 3 the compressible filler I0 isreplaced by a joint filler 44 which is made from a light gauge sheet.This joint filler is fastened to the longitudinal rods I4 by means oftie wires 46. In this construction the compressible fillers 34 andstraps 3-6 are also omitted, but the joint and transload device isotherwise the same as that described in Figures 1 and 2. Uponcontraction of the concrete, a crack 48 will form, thus creatingseparate slabs 50 and 52.

While two embodiments of my invention have been shown and. described, itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a transload device for transferring loads between adjacent slabshaving a filler therebetween, the combination including a pair ofsupporting units, one on each side of the filler, each of said unitshaving a plurality of aligned longitudinally spaced substantiallyU-shaped members extending transversely of the filler, the inboard legof the U-shaped members of each unit being connected by top and bottomlongitudinal members, the longitudinal members bearing against thefiller to hold it in place, said inboard legs being bent away from saidfiller at the longitudinal members, said filler having a plurality ofholes therein spaced apart longitudinally thereof, a dowel memberextending through each of said holes, alternate dowel members beingsecurely fastened to the outboard legs Of the U- shaped members of oneof said units, the remaining dowel members being securely fastened tothe outboard legs of the U-shaped members of the second of said units,the said inboard legs extending a substantial distance above said dowelmembers, the top longitudinal member being a substantial distance abovesaid dowel members, and a longitudinal member connecting said outboardlegs.

2. In a transload device for transferring loads between adjacent slabshaving a filler therebetween, the combination including a pair ofsupporting units, one on each side of the filler, each of said unitshaving a plurality of aligned spaced apart vertical legs bearing againstthe filler to hold it in position, a plurality of dowel membersextending between the slabs, said vertical legs extending a substantialdistance above said dowel members, a base member fastened to eachvertical member extending outwardl from said filler, an upwardlyextending outboard supporting member connected to each base member, alongitudinal member connecting said outboard supporting members, one endof at least part of said dowel members being secured to the outboardsupports of one unit, the other end of said dowel members beingsupported by the outboard supports of the other of said units, a pair ofspaced apart longitudinal members extending between and welded to saidvertical legs, said last named legs being bent away from said filler atthe longitudinal members so that the legs and longitudinal members bearagainst the filler, the top longitudinal member being a substantialdistance above said dowel members.

ALAN E. BRICKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,079,123 Lind May 4, 19372,245,972 Friberg June 17, 1941 2,309,767 Heltzel Feb. 2, 1943 2,319,050Fischer et al May 11, 1943 2,365,550 Heltzel Dec. 19, 1944

